| Resetting
the service interval indicator lights on BMW E30's and similar
You'll
need a piece of electrical wire (10/15 cm) to serve as a jumper wire.
According
to Patrick Farrel, a BMW master tech working at a dealer in MD, you should
always
use a fused jumper wire.
First,
locate de diagnostic socket, at the engine compartment.
There
are two different types: up to 1987, it's located near the intake manifold,
and has a red cap:
After
1987, you have to find a big round black plastic socket, with a cap held
by a plastic strap, located near the oil dipstick (M20 engines) or near
the firewall, driver's side (M40 engines):
Pull
the cap (early connector), or unscrew it (late connector), and you'll see
a number of connectors, depending of the type of plug (see the diagrams
below).
-
According
to the type of plug on your car, locate the right connectors, marked red
in the diagrams;
-
Use
the jumper wire to connect them together;
-
Turn
the key to ON position, without starting the car;
-
When
the 5 LED's in the dash light up (3/4 seconds), turn off the key. If you
keep the ignition on, another 6/7 seconds, after the LED's appear, you'll
perform an inspection reset, too.
-
Disconnect
the jumper wire.
 Make
sure you jump the right connectors! The best way to follow the diagram
for the late type connector is to match its center circle cut (that looks
like a pacman :o)) with the one in your car. The earlier one has a flat
side, so it's easier to follow.
If
you can't reset the lights, or if they reset and return after a
few days, you probably have to replace the SI board batteries. If You need
help on changing the Batteries email back for instruction.
|
==============================================
Here's another reference on the
reset tool
==============================================
BMW Service indicator lights FAQ.
- --------------------------------
The service indicator lights are
reset through a pin in the diagnostic connector located in the engine compartment.
There are 2 types of diagnostic
connectors used on BMWs. One is a 15 pin connector used on 1987 and earlier
cars, the other is a 20 pin connector used on 1987-on cars. In what follows
the 15 pin connector is referred to as the early type and the 20 pin as
the late type. Resetting the service indicator lights is described below.
The most common problem with resetting the service lights is bad NiCad
batteries in the instrument cluster. The batteries seem to fail pretty
consistently after 4 years.
The symptoms of this are:
1. The inspection light comes on.
2. Resetting the light according
to the instructions below either doesn't work or works for a short period
of time and then the inspection light comes back on.
The fix for this is to replace the
batteries as described below.
- ---------------------------
Resetting the service indicator
lights.
- --------------------------------------
Late type connector:
The service indicator lights are
reset by connecting pin 7 to pin 19(ground). The proper way to do this
is to have the ignition off and place a jumper wire between pins 7 and
19 (make sure you get the right pins!). Then turn the ignition switch to
position 1 (accessory), when the service light goes out, turn the ignition
off. The difference between resetting the oil service light and the inspection
light is in the length of time you have the jumper in place with the ignition
on. This means that if you are resetting the oil service light, you should
turn off the ignition immediately after the light goes out. If you leave
the jumper in too long with the ignition on, you will perform an inspection
reset as well and the next service indicator will come up as an oil service
rather than an inspection.
The service light reset tools that
I have seen connect to 3 pins of the diagnostic connector: pin 7,14 and
19. The connection to 14 is to power the tool. The less sophisticated tool
has only one switch that connects pin 7 to 19. While those pins are tied
together a red LED blinks to measure time. You count blinks and manually
turn off the tool after the appropriate number of counts for oil or inspection
reset. The more sophisticated tool has two switches, one for oil reset,
one for inspection. It must have a built in timer that jumps pin 7 to 19
for the correct time.
Early type connector:
The procedure is the same as above,
but you jumper pin 7 (the service indicator pin) to pin 1 (the ground pin).
The early type connector:
*******
**** ****
*** (10) ***
** (9) (11) ***
* *
* (2) *
* (8) (3) *
* *
* (7) *
* (1) *
* (4) *
* *
* (6) *
* (15) (5) *
* *
** (14) (12) ***
*** (13) ***
**** ****
*******
Diagnosis plug connections:
No. Terminal Designation
1 31 Ground
2 - -
3 - -
4 FT Temperature gauge
5 L Engine M10B18 Interfrator output for CO adjustment
Engine M30B34 Oxygen Sensor signal
6 A Diagnosis lead for SRS
7 SI Service indicator
8 P+ Position sender
9 S Shielding
10 P- Position sender
11 50 Starting pulse for starter
12 61 Alternator charge indicator
13 1 Ignition signal
14 30 battery +
15 15 Power supply for ignition
The late type connector:
** ***
**** ***** ****
*** (1) ***
** (12) (2) ***
* *
* (11) (20) (13) (3) *
* *
* (10) (19) (14) (4) *
* *
* (15) *
* (9) (18) (5) *
* (16) *
* (17) *
** (8) (6) **
** ***
*** (7) ***
**** ****
*******
Pin Wire Size Wire Color Circuit and Component Connected
----- ----------- ------------ ---------------------------------
1 1 BK Ignition Coil, Motronic Control Unit
6 0.5 WT/BK SRS Connector (Not Used)
7 0.5 WT/GN Service Interval Indicator, Service
Interval Processor(Reset).
11 2.5 BK/YL Starter, Start Signal(50)
12 0.75 BU Charge, Alternator(D+)
14 2.5 RD Battery
15 0.5 WT/YL Motronic Control Unit(RXD)
16 1.5 GN/WT Oxygen Sensor
18 0.5 GN/BU Motronic Control Unit(Programming Voltage)
19 1.5BR BR Ground Distribution(G103)
20 0.5 WT/VI Motronic Control Unit(TXD)
The Dummy plug.
- ---------------
Late models:
The cap on the diagnostic connector
is actually an electrical connector that shorts together the following
pins:
- --pins 18 and 20 to pin 19.
- --pin 14 to 15.
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